The Malaysian Intellectual: A Brief Historical Overview of the Discourse

Johnson, Deborah , (2009) The Malaysian Intellectual: A Brief Historical Overview of the Discourse. Sari (ATMA), 27 (1). pp. 13-26. ISSN 0127-2721

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Affiliations

Humboldt University

Abstract

This paper focuses on the discourse in Malaysia concerning intellectuals. It asserts that in concert with political and sociological changes, the :field of meanings' associated with the concept of the intellectual' and the actual social location of intellectual actors have undergone considerable change during the twentieth century. This flags the challenge for historians who are telling today's stories about the past in today's terms, but who have to try to understand that past on its own terms. Further, it flags the challenge for social scientists to not
merely appropriate the concepts of past scholars in tying to understand the present, but rather to also understand the context in which those ideas had relevance. Along the way, this paper gives glimpses of the circumstances,
motivations and contributions of a number of leading Malaysian intellectual figures.

Kertas ini memperkatakan wacana yang melibatkan intelektual di Malaysia. la tnenegaskan bahawa sesuai dengan perubahan sosio-politik, 'bidung makna' yang berkaitan konsep 'intelektual' dan lokasi sosial sebenar para intelektual
itu sudah mengalami peruhahan besar sepanjang abad dua puluh. Ini menimbulkan cabaran kepada sejarahwan yang ingin melihat masa lumpau dengan kaca mata masa kini tetapi yang sepatutnya perlu difahami dengan tanggapun yang ikhlas sesuai dengan tnasanya Selain itu, iajuga menimbulkan
cabaran kepada penyelidik sains sosial untuk mengelak dari mengaitkun konsep masa lampau kepada konsep masa terkini supaya dapat memahami sumbangan ide dan kaitannya kepada masa lampau. Sehubungan itu, makalah ini memberi
bayangan sekilas tentangpersekituran, motivasi dan sumbangan beberapa tokoh intelektual yang terkenal di Malaysia.

Item Type:

Journal

Keywords:

A Samad Ismail, intellectuals, discourse, Malay World, intelektual, wacana, Alam Melayu

Subjects:

H Social Sciences, Economics, Sociology
P Language and Literature

ID Code:

7847